A Reddit user, believed to be a woman, recently posted a disturbing incident where she claimed a man on a nearby terrace was masturbating while staring at her. According to her post, the man stood with his trousers unzipped and engaged in the obscene act, visibly looking in her direction.
Victim Seeks Advice, Gets Suspended Instead
Feeling “disgusted, violated, and scared”, she turned to Reddit to seek advice. To support her claim, she posted blurred images of the incident and marked them as 18+ under the “NSFW” (Not Safe For Work) label. However, Reddit suspended her account, reportedly due to “mature content” violations.
Her original caption, which was reshared by multiple accounts, read:
“Caught my neighbour touching himself while staring at me, I feel violated and scared. What can I do without involving my family?”
Caught my neighbor masturbating while staring at me – I feel violated and scared. What can I do without involving my family?
byu/Additional-Boat2649 inLegalAdviceIndia
In her longer message, she wrote, “I feel disgusted, violated, and scared. I honestly don’t know how to react.” She admitted she didn’t want to involve her family, fearing they would become overprotective or react unpredictably.
Community Divided: Legal Action vs. Privacy Concerns
While many users empathised and advised her to contact law enforcement, she expressed reluctance, asking, “I don’t want to involve the police. What action can I take that’s safe, discreet, and effective? Has anyone faced something like this? Any advice would really help.”
Some Reddit users urged her to act quickly.
One comment read, “This is definitely not his first time. If you don’t report him now, he’s likely to do worse to other women because he hasn’t faced any consequences.”
Another suggested, “Send the photos to his family and media outlets. File an FIR for indecent exposure and mental harassment. The law exists for exactly these situations, when you can’t handle it alone.”
However, a self-identified lawyer pointed out a potential legal hurdle: “Legally speaking, the fact that he was on his own property changes things. If he was within the confines of his home or terrace, he could argue he was engaging in a private act where there’s a ‘reasonable expectation of privacy’. It’s a technical defence, but it could mean he faces no legal repercussions.”
Debate Continues Amid Calls for Safer Digital Spaces
The incident has reignited discussions around digital platform policies, women’s safety, and how tech platforms handle such sensitive complaints. Many users questioned why the victim faced suspension instead of receiving support from Reddit moderators.
